The Lost Princess and the North Star
by LunaPatchouli
Summary: inspired by Journey to the Christmas Star. Freyja seeks out the North Star with the help of her faery Knight Finn in order to reunite the king with his lost daughter, Princess Kelda. But it's never that easy, especially when the Count Egil wishes to be king, and makes a contract with a powerful Sorceress in order to reach his goal.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

It is said that, a long time ago, there was a beautiful princess named Kelda. When the princess was eight, she asked her parents, the King and Queen of Alfr, if they could place the North Star on top of their Yule tree. "No, my darling." The Queen said, sweeping the princess up into her arms and to the window. "You see, the North Star is very high up in the sky, that way it shines for everyone in our kingdom." Queen Idunn explained. "And my grandmother always said that the North Star shall always shine if you gave it your heart." Thereupon, the Queen bestowed her beloved daughter with a chain from which hung a heart of gold. "This way you will never forget, my love."

However, King Ívarr had a cousin whose one wish was to become King himself and marry Queen Idunn. And for that to happen, the King would have to die childless. So the Count Egil sought the help of an evil sorceress, and made a bargain with her. That evening, the Count enthralled Princess Kelda with the knowledge that she could indeed place the North Star upon the royal family's Yule tree, all she had to do was give it the golden heart her mother had gifted her. Later that night, Kelda ventured out into the Dark Forest to do just that, and the sorceress awaited her there and cast a spell that made the Princess vanish.

The King and his men searched the entire kingdom of Alfr for his beloved Princess, but to no avail. The Queen, overcome with grief, died of a broken heart. Thus the King damned the North Star, blaming it for the death of his wife and the disappearance of his daughter. The North Star then disappeared, and a cold darkness descended upon the Kingdom of Alfr. There was a prophecy, however, described by and ancient sage, that if the North Star could be found and returned to the sky before the tenth Yule had past, then the Princess would return to her father. That time quickly ran out, and soon the tenth Yule Eve had come, and the King's last chance to find the North Star and have his Princess Kelda returned to him.

Unbeknownst to the knowledge of almost the entire Kingdom of Baldr, there was a cabin that rested on the border of the Dark Forest, where a young girl named Freyja was held prisoner. Her greatest wish was to one day be free to feel the sun on her face, and not simply from through the barred windows of the cabin. She was the slave of Mama Grid, a woman who employed street urchins to steal from the Royal Village so that she could sell the goods right back for a higher price. But Freyja did not wish to steal, so she was condemned to polish silver, scrub floors and cook, as well as undergo the ruthless abuse from Mama Grid and her urchins. "Freyja! I told you to wash the floor!" The shrill voice of Mama Grid brought her out of her dreams of escape, and the young woman sighed. "As long as you refuse to work properly for your food, you'll never see the outside of these walls, you lazy good-for-nothing."

Freyja kept her head down and bit her lip and she scrubbed, the cold water from the bucket hurting her hands. After she was finished the floor, she needed to polish the rest of the silver, or else it was another night with an empty belly. The door flew open and a cold gust of wind slapped her in the face. "Mama, look at what we've got!" the oldest urchin, Agni, called as he sneered at Freyja. Mama Grid fussed over the score, a few pearl necklaces and other jewellery, more silverware and what looked like a picture frame.

"Oh look Freyja!" Mama Grid cried, earning her attention. "Look at what a great job they've done! Doesn't it just make you feel utterly worthless?" With a sigh, she turned back to the floor continued her scrubbing. Another gust of wind hit the house as Agni bragged about doing all the work, and Freyja spotted her chance. She scrubbed closer and closer to the door, until she decided to bolt and make her escape. She ran until she heard the shrill scream of Mama Grid telling the urchins to go after her, and Freyja burst into a sprint.

She weaved through the trees with little more than her memory to guide her. Cresting the hill, she broke free of a dense patch of needle leafs and rolled freely down the embankment, a natural landslide that served her purposes more effectively now that it was covered in snow and sped her escape. The sound of footsteps behind her only seemed to give her more adrenaline as blood pumped in her ears. "Freyja you miserable little wretch!" She heard Agni scream behind her. As the canopy overhead thickened, her steps grew muffled by the pine needles that blanketed the forest floor; the ground no longer cold beneath her soles. Reaching the entrance to the Royal Village, Freyja kept running and hid behind the iron of a blacksmith as she waited for her pursuers to pass by. The man told her to get out of the way, and she made a dash in the direction opposite of Agni and the urchins. "When I find you, you'll be sorry!" The older boy promise threateningly.

Seeing another chance at escape, Frejya ran towards a cart pulled by a large black horse that carried a lovely looking woman with light blonde hair. She jumped in the back and pulled a blanket over her as the urchins continued to make chase. She didn't know where the cart was taking her, but she didn't care as long as it was away from the urchins and Mama Grid. Freyja rolled out and under the cover of a larger cart filled with bags of grain.

She looked around, and he stomach dropped at the sight of Agni and his urchins running towards her. She saw men taking things out of a building and placing them in a cart, and slid past them while their backs were turned. She heard the door close behind her, and the young woman let out a deep breath. Walking further into the room and gazing, Freyja saw more food that she ever could have imagined. Sausages, cheese, apples, whole pigs hanging from racks, barrels of liquid, and bags of grain next to loaves of bread all stacked neatly. Thinking that the coast was clear, Freyja made her way back towards the door. "Freyja." A voice spoke intimately, and her breath hitched at the boy who leaned against the door. "Didn't think you could escape me so easily, did you?"

"Stay away from me Agni." Her voice shook but was firm. He laughed.

"I could never stay away from you, darling." He retorted, voice sickly sweet like spoiled fruit. "Fill up your sacks boys, I've got our little Princess." She watched as the younger urchins began to ransack the cellar, stuffing their bags with whatever they pleased. "It's time you learned how to steal, little missy. So take one of those hams over there and stuff it down your coat, Mama is expecting us."

They didn't hear the door creak open, nor see the eyes that watched them. "I won't." Freyja said, voice hardened and more resolved. "And I'll call the guards if you don't leave right this instant."

"Keep your mouth shut." Their noses almost touched, and Agni pointed a finger at her. "Or else you'll be getting our special kind of punishment along with the shackles." A voice from behind them shouted, and began to alert the guards of thieves on the castle grounds. So that's where they had ended up. Freyja made a dash for the door that lead further into the building as a young man chased after the escaping urchins.

King Ívarr was returning then for his consultation with the astrologer of Mandeen, and followed by his faithful hound Dagr. Every day for the past ten years, the King rode through his lands dressed in a red cloak with the royal family emblem embroidered on the back; however his searches always proved futile. He rode into the mountain that his castle was carved into, past the woodpile that feed all the hearths in the palace and towards the stables where his horse was kept and cared for.

Freyja made her way through the winding corridors of the royal palace, feeling a twinge of remembrance yet she had never been to the castle before. Opening a door, she saw a room shrouded by a fog of dust. There were two thrones covered by a white sheet, and one small stool with an elaborate cushion. The large candelabras were also covered in sheets, and the chandeliers hung low from the ornate ceiling. Lovely patterned rugs ran along the center of the burgundy floor towards the thrones. Portraits were covered but hanging pieces of fabric, hiding the faces that had been captured within. Moving to the next room, Freyja noticed that the candles were lit, the chairs uncovered by white cloth. A stairway lead to a door above and she wondered where it went.

She heard the door unlock, and Freyja looked around for a place to hide, and ducked behind a room divider in the corner just as guards and Count Egil.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Freyja's heart was beating like a race horse, and she feared that the other people in the room would be able to hear it. She peaked out enough to see a sombre royal court filling into the room before a man knocked his staff against the floorboards before speaking. "His Royal Highness, King Ívarr of Alfr. As everyone in the room bowed their heads, a man with hair as fiery as her own emerged from the room above and made his way down the spiralling stairs, his hound by his side.

The count, who was a lean and dark haired man, stepped forward. "You're majesty, I present Abdown Adoniyah of Mandeen. Please step forward." A man dressed in robes blue as the sky stepped before the king and bowed extravagantly.

"The Count says that you are the best astrologer on this side of the world." The King said, to which the man claimed that there was no better astrologer. "Then you'll be able to tell me where the North Star is. Our time is running, therefor I beg you not only as your king but also as a helpless father; help me find my child."

"It may take some time, Highness." The Astrologer commented. "However I shall work at my swiftest." Snapping his fingers, two men dressed similarly came into the room and placed a long thin table before Abdown Adoniyah, and pulling on a piece of elaborately decorated cloth, a golden orb dotted with small holes appeared, and the room gasped. Looking up at the ceiling as his men closed the curtains; the people noticed that stars had begun to appear above them. Freyja gasped, having never seen stars before. "The North Star appears to have gone towards Cygnus, to the North West, Majesty. It must have taken the trajectory through Ursa Major and Minor, and beyond Lyra. Therefore the North Star can be found in the North West of the Winter Skies, my lord."

"How quickly can you bring it home?" The King asked, "There's no use having it there, you must go fetch it." Before the astrologer could comply, Freyja felt a wet nose to her cheek and loud bark near her ear. The King's hound.

"Dagr." The King called, but the hound kept barking. "Dagr, come!" When the dog wouldn't obey, the King looked to his cousin. "Go see what he's on about."

Count Egil made his way towards the divider, and moved it aside, revealing Freyja to the entire court. Pulling her up by the scruff of her hair, he sneered. "This must be one of the thieves from the cellar, your Majesty." Freyja gasped, holding her hair in hopes of lessening the tension. I'm not one of them. She assured, and received a hard jerk from the Count. "Now, are you lying to the King?"

"No, I was trying to get away from them!" She cried. The Count then asked her why she was in the castle. "I needed to get away; I needed to hide from them!"

She saw movement from the corner of her eye, and when she turned Freyja was met with a kind pair of blue eyes. It was the man who had called for the guards. "You again?" He smiled. You know her, Eirik? King Ívarr asked, and the man nodded. "Yes your Highness, she was trying to stop the thieves in the cellar."

"Is this true, girl?" The King asked, his eyes softening as Dagr whined and sat by Freyja's feet. She nodded with tears forming in her eyes from the pain of the Count's grip, but it soon vanished with a nod from the King. "What are you called?"

"Freyja." She replied, looking him in the eyes with no fear. Again she felt the twinge of remembrance, yet shook it off.

"Right, you all know what you must do!" He called to the room. "I expect the North Star to be returned by tomorrow at sunset!"

The astrologer bowed, and the Count spoke. "Yes, my King. You may be sure of that."

"And you," He continued, pointing to Freyja who had begun petting Dagr's large head. He had her attention in a moment. "You're coming with me." He gave a quick smile, and turned to begin his way back up the stairs, and Freyja followed after giving Eirik and thankful look. She wasn't used to suck kindness. Once in the room, she was told to remove her vest as a woman brought a chair over to the table by the fire. Freyja noticed that it was the woman from the cart.

"Come along." She beckoned, and the King smiled when she sat and Dagr rested his head on her thigh. The King sat opposite her, and simply took her in. Hair a fiery red not unlike his own, eyes a hazy violet, cheeks and lips still red from the cold. And she was thin.

"Why were you with these people? These thieves?" He asked, and Freyja heard genuine concern in his voice. He had a fatherly voice.

She looked down, "They kept me prisoner, in a cabin on the edge of the Dark Forest." She explained. "I was never a loud to leave the cabin because I refused to steal for them." He asked if she had a family, and she shook her head. "If I have one, I don't remember. I can't remember my life before my ninth or tenth birthday." Friends? He asked. "They wouldn't let me leave the cabin." She replied, and rolled up her sleeves to reveal the scars that Mama Grid's shackles had left. "This is from the first time I tried to run away." She explained. "The second time my punishment was…"

Freyja bit her lip like she always did when something was troubling her, and she was silent for a long while. "Oh my goodness." The King gasped, and looked into the fire before sighing. "Well you are certainly not going back to them. And I'll be sending guards to arrest these thieves; I'll see to it that you're never bothered by them again." With a few silent tears rolling down her features, Freyja managed a small smile. "What will you do with your new freedom, Freyja?"

"I think I might go look for the star." She replied. This made the man opposite her smile through his well-kept beard.

"I've been searching for it for nearly ten years now." He spoke, almost to himself, and Freyja listened attentively. "I've tried almost everything. Astrologers, Mages…" He let out another sigh.

Freyja bit her lip again, and spoke. "Have you tried giving it your heart?" He repeated those words questioningly, pleasantly. "I don't remember who told me or when, but I was told that the North Star would always be there if you gave it your heart."

"I doubt anyone would want my heart." King Ívarr told her. "It became so cold and black the day I cursed the North Star."

"I disagree." Freyja said, and the man raised his eyebrows at her. "A King with a heart that was cold and black would sooner have me thrown in the dungeon than let me sit at his table." He smiled, and there was another pregnant silent. "Do you think…? The North Star might want my heart?"

The King sat back, and let out another sigh, before smiling and nodding. "Yes, I do. Anyone would be proud to have your heart, Freyja."

She smiled, "Then I'll give my heart to the North Star." She said, with determination on her face and in her voice.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

King Ívarr invited Freyja to dine with him, but not before allowing her to bathe and change into one of the chambermaid's spare dresses. Freyja never had permission to have a hot bath, which was reserved for the urchins who stole for Mama Grid. It was odd staying longer than a few seconds under the water, and Freyja wished she could have stayed in the bath much longer, but she knew the King was waiting for her. Drying off and allowing her hair to curl naturally, the chambermaid helped her dress, since she had never worn a dress let alone a corset. It was comfortable and snug, and for the first time Freyja saw herself in a mirror that she wasn't mean to polish.

Moving back into the room, she King was looking over some scrolls and he looked up, smiling. "That shade of purple becomes you."

"I've never worn a corset before. Or a dress." She admitted, hands on her waistline. A serving boy pulled her chair out for her as King Ívarr told her that the dress was hers, before calling for the woman with the light blonde hair, whose name was Adelis. A cart was brought in, and a bowl of tomato soup was placed before each of them, along with a plate of chicken, potatoes tossed in herbs, buttered corn, and fresh rolls with garlic butter.

"When was the last time you've eaten?" The King asked as he watched the girl finish her third plate, and his eyes widened at her response of a few days. "Well, you're always a welcomed guest here. Remember that."

She was brought to the kitchens after she had finished dinning with the King; and Eirik and Adelis were waiting for her there. "So you plan on finding the North Star and giving it your heart?" The woman asked as her man filled a bag with bread, cheese, meats and apples, only getting a nod in response. Adelis sighed, and went to fetch a spare cloak so she wouldn't freeze. "Do you know where you're going?"

"North West." Freyja replied. "Or to the left." The left? Eirik repeated. She shrugged. "That's where the heart is." They smiling and wished her luck as Freyja ventured towards the North West, which luckily was opposite the direction she had been chased.

Back in the King's study, Ívarr was having a private discussion with his cousin. "Can we trust this astrologer?" He questioned.

"Oh yes, your highness." The Count reassured. "He has promised to bring the Star back safe, sound and on time. And he will do everything he can to do so. I shall see to it."

"Let us hope so." The King said as the Count bowed and left the room. He sighed and moved to the window. "That girl Freyja has more of a chance." He said under his breath, wondering she had already left to fulfill her promise. The Count went to his own private office, and had begun to fill a bag with many gold coins. He handed it to the astrologer with a large smile.

"I did not know the King was that gullible." The man said, tucking the purse away.

"Be sure that no one sees you." The Count ordered as the two walked to the door. "The King thinks you're half way to the moon at this time." The charlatan left, and as the Count turned around his breath caught in his throat at the sudden appearance of his companion.

"We have something to discuss." The Sorceress stated, stone-faced. The Count went on to tell her that everything was going according to plan, but she interjected. "We have a problem, dear Count. I have heard that a young girl is making her way into the Dark Forest to search for the North Star."

The count couldn't help but laugh. "Freyja, that little girl is of no concern of ours. We have nothing to fear from a mere child."

The woman in black continued, "The point is, Count: as long as she searches, there is a chance she might find. And if the North Star is found, we will have wasted all those years of work and ambition. And you shall never take the throne."

"As I said, you have nothing to fear." Count Egil repeated. "Absolutely none. However, I see that you are right. We cannot take any unnecessary risks when we are so close to ultimate power. What do you suggest we do, my dear?"

"I want you to stop her." The woman replied simply. The Count nodded and left the room, fetching his horse and beginning to ride towards the North West, where he knew Freyja had gone.

Freya had made it rather far given the amount of time she had been walking. The bottom of her dress had begun to dampen with snow, but her feet stayed warm and dry thanks to her soft soled boots. Looking back, she saw the rising turrets of the castle carved into the mountain side, and breathed out heavily, producing a cloud before he mouth. There she swore that she would bring the North Star back to the King and the people of Alfr. The young woman pulled her woollen cloak around her to block the cold that followed the setting of the sun, walking further and further into the Dark Woods to the North West. She heard the calling of owls, and the wind that mingled with the barren tree branches.

But what Freyja didn't know what that she was being relentlessly tracked by Count Egil, and he was closing in on her. The young woman paused, seeing a snow white owl perched in a tree. "Where is the North Star?" She asked it, and it hooted back before turning its head to the left. Freyja smiled, and thanked the predatory bird before moving on.

Back at the castle, the Sorceress' daughter Nessa was in their private turret. "People shall come from all over the world to see my beauty and grace." She sighed and the raven that perched near cawed in response, staring at the girl dressed in black as she combed her ebony hair. "Do you not think so? Well the opinion of an ugly raven means nothing to me. If I were your mistress I would pluck every last feather from you."

"Nessa!" The girl jumped and spun around. "How many times must I say it? These ravens are not playthings, and are not meant to be out of their cage without my permission!" Letting the ravens jump onto both hands, the woman placed them gently back into their cages. "I'm going out, and I want you to stay here and read, Nessa."

"I'm coming with you." Her daughter replied. "I've been locked up here for seventeen years, and I want to show you how capable I am!"

"You will stay here and do as you're told!" Her mother snapped, extending a hand and pushing the young woman into a chair as a book flew from the shelf and landed open upon the desk. "Now you will read this, and master your skills. Before they become your master." The woman moved out of the turret and down the stairs, leaving Nessa to pout.

Freyja continued her walk for several minutes before reaching a frost covered clearing with a giant oak tree in its heart. A cage hung from one of the lower branches, and this peaked Freyja's curiosity. Walking to it, she noticed a small person inside, trying his hardest to get free from the wooden cage.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

He was the handsomest boy she had ever seen, though he was hardly the size of her longest finger. He was dressed in forest green clothes with copper embroidery around the collar, sleeves and bottom of the shirt, with brown pants and boots. His pointed ears escaped the wild mess of his brown hair, which seemed to have small vines among the strands of hair, growing small green leaves in the dead of winter. His green eyes scanned her over many times, watching her every move. "Are you caught?" Freya repeated again.

The small man nodded, "I was going to grab these cloudberries, but then the door slammed shut." He explained. "I've been in here all day." They were silent for a moment. "I've never seen you before."

"I've never actually been here before." She explained with a small smile. "I'm looking for the North Star." Jumping at the sudden sound, Freyja recognised the neighing of a horse and galloping of hooves.

"Open the door!" He screamed pushing and pulling on it, but it wouldn't budge. "Someone's coming!" Lifting the iron clasp on the door and bringing the small man to the ground, Freyja could now see the Count riding towards in a fury. "Don't worry, I'm going to help you!" Freyja turned back to see him pull and acorn from his bag and open it, pulling out a sparkling dust. "Hold your breath princess." Blowing it in her face, Freyja felt and odd sensation, as if she were shrinking down to his size. But it soon ended when the world went black.

The Count was confused. One moment the girl had been there, within his grasp. And the next? Vanished, like mist in the sun. He dismounted his black horse, and Count Egil investigated the scene. The cage was empty, and there was no sign of the girl. Looking at the tree, he wondered if she was hiding behind it. "Freyja?" He called in a sickly sweet sing-song voice, but she was too far to hear him. "Freyja, I know you're here. Why don't you save us both the trouble and come out?"

Freyja awoke groggy, disoriented and confused as to where she was and what happened. She was warm, almost too warm, with heavy blankets piled onto her. She looked around, and saw that she was on a large bed in what looked like a kitchen entirely made of wood. People were sitting at the table; an older man and the boy she had saved earlier before he had… Freyja jerked upright, startling the woman who was scurrying around in the kitchen. "Oh thank Heavens you're alright! The dust tends to take a toll on mortals but it wears off quick enough." She exclaimed, coming towards her with a steaming bowl. "Here, eat this and get your strength back." Freyja assumed that this woman was the mother of the boy she had saved, and she was short, plump, kindly-looking woman. "You saved our Finn today." The woman said. "We're in your debt. And our people always repay our debts."

"Your people?" Freyja asked, and her eyes widened as she placed the soup on her lap. She had been shrunk by this Finn, because he was a faery. "You're faeries?"

The fae woman nodded and laughed slightly, wrinkles forming at the corners of her eyes. "Don't worry, child. The soup isn't enchanted. You'll be able to eat human food once you're back to your normal size."

"What have I told you, boy?" The fae man sitting at the table asked crossly. "You can't go shrinking every pretty human girl you see. Just because you can't learn to be a responsible prince doesn't mean you have to put our entire kind in danger!"

"Oh give it a rest, Askel." His wife replied, walking towards them and patting her son on the head. "He had good intentions. Your sister always loved cloudberries." Finn smiled down at the little girl he had sitting in his lap. "And it was very kind of Freyja to set you free, or else you would have been a bird's supper."

Everyone laughed at that, and Freyja didn't bother to wonder how they knew her name. She figured the Count would have been calling for her, she thought she had heard him after she had fainted. "So what is a pretty young girl like you doing out in the forest alone on Yule's Eve?" Askel asked once everyone had finished their soup and were sitting at the table enjoying a cup of pine tea.

"She's looking for the North Star." Bjorn replied, before looking at Freyja with a smile. "Pappa, you told me long ago that only Julenissen knows where the North Star is."

"Then how do I find this Julenissen?" Freyja asked, leaning towards the table. "Please, Herr Askel."

The old faery man looked down at hiss mug for a moment, studying it with great interest. "You must fly on the North Wind in order to get to his home at the northernmost point of the world. But the journey to the North Wind's Mountain is too far and dangerous for a little mortal like yourself to go alone."

"She won't be alone." Bjorn replied. "I'm going with her." Despite the interjection from his parents, he continued. "She saved me, so my life belongs to her. It's tradition."

"Prins Bjorn." A voice came from the bed opposite the large one, and the faery boy stood and went to sit by the old man's bed. "You know what being a knight means, don't you boy? The duties of becoming this girl's knight?" He nodded with a yes Farfar before the man continued. "Seek the help of the beast you are named for."

Bjorn nodded, and stood to look at the table's congregation. Resting his warm eyes on Freyja, he smiled. "I'm to take you to the North Wind's Mountain." And that was that. Bjorn was going to help her find the North Star. She pulled on her cloak and boots once more and followed Born down a set of steps and into a long dark passage, the only light coming from the lantern he had brought.

"Bjorn, your grandfather, what did he mean the duties of becoming my knight?" Stopping and turning to face her, Bjorn's face looked chiselled and defined by the source of light.

He took one of her hands in his, and knelt so one knee was touching the ground as he brought our his sheathed sword. "My name is Bjorn Asger Dagfinn, only son of the Eiketre Court." He said, looking up at her. "Let it be known-from this day forth, I vow to protect Freyja, daughter of the Mortal Realm, with my sword, my honour, and my life. Her desires are mine. Her wishes are mine. Should even the world stand against her, my blade will be at her side. And should it fail to protect her, let my own existence be forfeit. This I swear, on my honour, my True Name, and my life. From this day on..." His voice went even softer, and chills ran down Freyja's spine. "I am yours." He rose and returned his sword to his belt before explaining. "A life for a life, princess. You saved mine, therefore it belongs to you."

He kissed her hand, retaining perfect eye contact and began to walk again down the tunnel, telling her to stay close. As they walked further and further into the darkness, Freyja's grip on Finn's hand tightened as a rumbling sound began to grow louder and louder. "Finn, what is that?"

"The Great Bear, Ursa." He explained in a hushed voice. "He can take us to the North Wind's Mountain in no time at all. But he might be a little grumpy; he's supposed to keep hibernating for several more months."

"Does he like blackberries?" Freyja asked, fumbling around in her bag for the small basket Eirik had given her.

She could see Finn smile despite the suffocating darkness. "His favourite." Entering a large cavern where the rumbling made the very walls shake, Freyja and Finn were met with an 8000 pound black bear.

 **So my reference for the whole "Knight Vow" came from Julie Kagawa's book The Iron Queen. I do not own it, nor take credit for it. It just worked and I thought it was cute.**


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